Vending machine



Ocfl2 1926.

H-.G- SWAFFORD A VENDING MACHINE Filed May 25, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Patented Oct. 12, 1926. I

rsNr VFFI'CEQ y UNITED srArlEs ENRY GRADYswAFFoRD, or' snnLBYvILL,TENNEssEE.

vENDiNG MACHINE, ,n ff t My invention relates to 'a vending ma` chineand one of the objects of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter which is Specially adapted fo-r use in vending'groceries j Y,Another object vof the invention is to de- Referring to the drawings'for a' morev Y complete disclosure of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation with parts of the casing removed to show theoperating mechanism; j

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1;'

Fig. 4 isa fragmentary section on the line `4---40f Fig. 2;

Fig., 5"is a section on the line 54-5 of Fig. 2; land Fig. 6 is themeans for guiding the sprocket chain.

Mounted within and along the median line of the casing 1 of the machineis a rotary sprocket 2 and a similar sprocket 3, connected together bythe chain 4 which Vengages with the teeth on the said sprockets. Atintervals on the said chain are flanges 5, provided with apertures 6 andthrough these apertures pass screws 7 for engaging and holding shelveson which the goods to be vended are placed. The said'shelves are spacedapart a distance equal to the height of the openlng 9 in the front ofthe casing and through which access maybe had to the shelf 10. The shelf11 is disposed in line lwith the cross-piece 12 so that access cannot behad at the same timeto the goods and the shelf 11. The front vof thecasing is provided with glass windows 13 to afford a view of thecontents.

Securedto the shaft 14 and rotatable with `the sprocket 3 is a ratchet15 having teeth 16 which engage with a spring pressed pawl 17. Securedto the pawl 17 is a studdlS 0o 19, which dog is pivoted to a hand lever26. The said hand lever is pivoted at its lower a fragmentary section,showing` .with the apertures 34. The customer Application lma May' 25,1325. sena; N0.'32,94o.

end to the casing and'` projects through a slot and .has a hand grip 22at its upper end.` Spaced'around the ratchet 15 are studs 23 forVengagement with the -sloping face 24 of the'dog 19, as willbehereinafter set forth.

Mounted yin the front part of the casing is a coinlockfor controllingthe operation `of the 'vending machine. This comprises a coin chute 25leading into a coin' receptacle 26 which is fixed' to the end of abalanced beam 27 supported, by knife edges 28, on the bracket 29.' A nut3.0 engaging the screw 31 y`1s used for adjusting the beam to accord beused for operating the machine. At the other end, the beam 27 isprovided with an aperture 32, the said end reciprocating b'etween guides33 which are provided with alined apertures 34.

Pivotally secured to the hand lever 2O is a v with the particular weightof the coin tol pin 35, normally engaging one ofthe apertures 34 andadapted, when the aperturesv 34 and 32 are in alinement, to pass throughthe same. l

The coin receptacle 26 is provided with a pivoted side 36 having a camsurface 37 for engagement with the hand lever 20 to releasethe coin fromthe coin receptacle.

In order to hold the shelves and sprockets` chain in proper position,they body ofv the.

chain runs in a groove 38 formed in the partition 39. By thisconstruction, notwithstanding the considerable load on the shelves, theywill not readily be thrown out of alinement. f

Operation.

Merchandise is from time to time placed on the shelves in the front ofthe cabinet. When a customer desires an article, a suitably indicatedcoin is deposited'in the coin slot. The nut 30 has been previously'adjusted so that when the proper coin is in the coin receptacle 26, thebeam will be level, and the aperture 32 therein will be in alinementthen grasps the hand lever,l pulls it forward, thereby releasing thepawl 17 from' the ratchet teeth 16, whereupon the loaded shelves willVmove downwardl one step, thus making available to the customer thegoods on shelf 11. As the ratchet rotates, one of the kstuds 23 engagesthe inclined face 24 on the dog 19, thereby disen aging it from the stud18 and permitting t e spring 4to drawV the pawl 17 backwards to engagethe next toothl on the ratchet and? stopping its rot-a- Jtion. l

As the hand lever is pulled forward it engages the calin surface 37 to4openy the cover 36, releasing the com which drops mtnthe.

boX 40.V

It Will be noted that the handlever cannot be pulled forward until theapertures 32 and 34 arein; alinement,whereby the pin 35 can enter; YUnless, therefore, the proper'v coin, for Whicltthe `machine-issefnlhasbeen' placed inthe chute, the beam will,v notV assume the rightpositioln andjthe apert'uresl Willi not be in alinement.

For independently. opening the-coverz` 3G ot thev coinl box, to= releasean unsuitable coin which has beenl placed; therein, Imay provide a pushroclfll.

When thel goods on the front shelves are not heavy enough tomovedownwards onrelease of' the locking means, then suitable Weights; may.,be placed on the; shelves forthis prnpose;A 1

From the above description it Will be apparent that l' have produced a:device of the character described, which accomplishes the purpose forwhich it Was intended, and While I" haveA illustrated@Y and describedthe preferred forni ot' my invention, it Will be understood that lreserve the right to all changes,V properly falling` within the spiritand scope ofthe appended claim.

Therefore, what ll claim' asnew` and desire tosecure by Letters Patentis):

In. amending); machine, a-conveyolya plu;- rality o1" supports forgoodsrcarried, thereby., means for locking` the conveyork inposition,means for releasing the lock: to permitthe conveyor to move andcomprising an. operating lever, a coin-controlled balancedy beam havinganA aperture therein, alpinoarriedlby the said lever andadapted to enterthe-said I aperture when the beam is-in a predeterminedpositionztozpermit the-lever to vmove to release the said lock. Y v Y Intestimony whereof] I aliix, my signature.

HENRY GRADY SVAFFORD.

